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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. firm — a company
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mate — to breed
  13. firm — decided
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kick — in football
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. capital — money
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. firm — steady
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fork — in a road

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