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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. foot — a measure
  11. last — to go on
  12. file — a tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. last — final
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. file — a document
  20. march — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. mate — a partner
  24. last — finally

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