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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ground — a position
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. snap — to click
  14. rule — government
  15. bear — the animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fork — in a road
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bear — the animal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fork — to eat with

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