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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stem — to come from
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chest — a box

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