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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ground — the earth
  9. land — a country
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kick — in football
  12. ground — a position
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — in a road
  19. land — ground
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. land — to come down
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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