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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stock — goods
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. drill — army training
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — boats
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stock — shares
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fork — in a road
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — for betting

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