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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — a face
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — a cup
  8. court — for sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. present — a gift
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. court — of a king
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. present — the time now
  17. court — of law
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. deal — to handle
  22. present — there
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rash — a series

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