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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fine — all right
  8. squash — the sport
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fork — in a road
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cue — a signal

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