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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. court — of law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — in a road
  10. court — for sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — of a king
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. race — a contest
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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