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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — for digging
  18. object — an aim
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — music

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