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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 124 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. capital — a city
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. suit — to fit
  8. snap — to click
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. capital — money
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chip — for betting
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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