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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. file — a document
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — a tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. club — a group
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stock — goods
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — shares
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. craft — a handicraft

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