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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fork — in a road
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stem — to come from
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wave — of the sea

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