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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. march — the month
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. march — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. row — a line
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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