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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cell — a phone
  3. land — ground
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — for dancing
  10. shower — rain
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. club — for golf
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — a group
  24. cabinet — ministers

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