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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're on a ________________ here.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chip — to eat
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. date — the fruit
  9. roll — a cake
  10. snap — to click
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — a friend
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mate — to breed
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. roll — a list
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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