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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fork — in a road
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — a measure
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — to eat
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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