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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fork — in a road
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. deal — to handle
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. game — wild animals
  21. march — the month
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. nail — for a hammer

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