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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. net — for catching
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. net — after costs

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