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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. net — after costs
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stand — to bear
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chip — to eat
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. coach — a trainer

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