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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — a thing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. fork — in a road
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cold — not warm
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cold — an illness
  21. scale — size or range
  22. object — an aim
  23. ball — a great time
  24. object — to protest

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