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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — letters
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — for betting
  10. firm — a company
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — to be able to
  13. firm — decided
  14. present — a gift
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. present — the time now
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. spell — magic

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