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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 124 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. date — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — the season
  21. squash — to crush
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — of water
  24. date — on the calendar

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