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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — employees
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. perch — the fish
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — the cause
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. date — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fork — in a road

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