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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — to handle
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a list
  9. bass — low music
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — a trail
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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