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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bat — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. current — happening now
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stem — to come from
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. key — in music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bat — in an idiom

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