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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. suit — clothes
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rash — a series
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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