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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. craft — boats
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fork — in a road

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