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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chip — for betting
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. race — the arms race
  9. capital — money
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fork — in a road
  13. suit — clothes
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. race — a contest
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. capital — a city
  24. wound — an injury

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