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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mate — to breed
  5. plane — a tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mate — a friend
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fork — in a road
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. toast — bread
  17. roll — a list
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mate — a partner
  20. craft — a skill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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