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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. current — happening now
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. degree — an amount
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. file — a document
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kid — child
  22. degree — temperature
  23. prune — to trim
  24. file — a tool

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