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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. branch — a division
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. land — ground
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. suit — to fit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kid — child
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. land — a country
  24. fork — in a road

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