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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fork — in a road
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fine — all right
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spring — the season
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. race — the arms race
  11. spring — of water
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — a contest
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — in music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. race — humankind
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com