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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — all right
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stock — goods
  21. chip — for betting
  22. game — a match
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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