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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chest — a box
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — a match
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — all right
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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