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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fork — in a road
  4. drill — army training
  5. mate — to breed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. firm — a company
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. firm — decided
  19. race — humankind
  20. firm — steady
  21. drill — the tool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. drill — a practice
  24. race — a contest

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