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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — for golf
  3. current — happening now
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. current — electric
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. drill — a practice
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. current — of water
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chair — a professorship

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