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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. land — ground
  3. prune — to trim
  4. suit — in cards
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mate — to breed
  13. suit — to fit
  14. land — a country
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a friend
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a partner
  22. land — to come down
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. game — a kind of play

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