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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. prune — to trim
  5. file — a tool
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kick — in football
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. can — a tin
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. file — a document

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