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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fork — in a road
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — for sport
  8. current — electric
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. current — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — happening now
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mine — for digging
  15. court — of a king
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. court — of law
  24. arm — part of the body

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