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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. toast — bread
  12. row — to paddle
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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