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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. object — a thing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. object — to protest
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. object — an aim
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — to crush
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rock — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — the sport

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