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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mug — to rob
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mug — a cup
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chip — for betting
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — in sport
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mug — a face
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. nail — for a hammer

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