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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fork — in a road
  4. plane — a tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. club — for golf
  7. drill — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. club — for dancing
  11. craft — boats
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. degree — from a university
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stem — to come from
  22. degree — an amount
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. club — a group

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