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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lean — thin
  4. present — the time now
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. net — after costs
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — there
  9. court — for sport
  10. row — a line
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — a gift
  18. net — in sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. firm — decided
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lean — to bend

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