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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stand — to bear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chip — to eat

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