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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. last — to go on
  3. ball — a great time
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. prune — to trim
  7. craft — boats
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. prune — to trim
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fork — in a road
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. craft — a skill

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