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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. file — a document
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — a division
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. firm — decided
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — in a road
  18. firm — steady
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. firm — a company
  24. fan — a supporter

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