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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. firm — decided
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. branch — a division
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — steady
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fork — in a road
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. branch — of a bank

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