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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. staff — employees
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pass — to spend time

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