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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — for betting
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — decided
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. firm — a company
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — the fish
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fork — in a road
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. firm — steady
  24. fork — a garden tool

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