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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. prune — to trim
  3. drill — army training
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. drill — a practice
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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