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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cold — an illness
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitch — completely
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — the season
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cold — not warm

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