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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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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. sharp — clever
  5. land — ground
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — a company
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pit — in a race
  15. drill — army training
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chip — for betting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. land — a country
  21. stem — to come from
  22. firm — steady
  23. drill — a practice
  24. land — to come down

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