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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. board — to get on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pass — a permit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stem — to come from
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — a tool

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