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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. squash — the sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. race — a contest
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. race — humankind
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. race — the arms race
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — to sink

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