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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. swing — in golf
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — to pay attention

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