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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. snap — to click
  12. fork — in a road
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stem — to come from
  20. craft — a skill
  21. game — a match
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rest — a break

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