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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fork — in a road
  4. game — a match
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pound — a weight
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fork — a garden tool

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