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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. present — there
  4. game — wild animals
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. scale — in music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. staff — employees
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — a stick
  12. present — the time now
  13. scale — size or range
  14. present — a gift
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fork — in a road
  24. game — a match

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