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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. staff — employees
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fork — in a road
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — magic
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. track — a path
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — a song
  19. spell — a short time
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spell — letters
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. prune — to trim

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