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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. last — to go on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a song
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. press — newspapers
  9. club — a group
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stem — to come from
  12. last — final
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hand — help
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. press — to push
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. last — finally

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