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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. firm — decided
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tube — a container
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bass — low music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. firm — a company
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — steady
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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