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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — temperature
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chip — for betting
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. degree — from a university
  20. chip — to eat
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wave — of the sea

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