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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — help
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wax — to grow
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — to recline

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