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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a hole
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fork — in a road
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. file — a document
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wave — of the sea

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