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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rock — a stone
  3. staff — a stick
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. staff — employees
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. last — finally
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. game — a match
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. mine — for digging

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