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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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Word bank
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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cold — an illness
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitch — a sports field

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