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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. toast — bread
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stock — shares
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — government
  14. stock — goods
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rule — a law
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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