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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. rule — government
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — in a road
  11. squash — the sport
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rule — a law
  16. capital — money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pop — to visit
  21. capital — a city
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chip — for betting
  24. squash — the vegetable

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