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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. club — for dancing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. craft — a skill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pop — soda
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pop — music

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