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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — shares
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stock — goods
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — a division
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitch — completely
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. staff — a stick
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — letters
  22. cap — a hat
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stock — a soup base

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