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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. face — to point toward
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mug — to rob
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to confront
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mug — a face
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — part of the head
  20. deal — to handle
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chip — in a computer

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