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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — in a road
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. root — of a word
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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