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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — to come down
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. kid — child
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — a country
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. craft — boats

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