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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. cue — a signal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — for pool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spring — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. spring — of water
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cue — a hint
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — of a river
  23. club — for golf
  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