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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. last — finally
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — to eat
  7. sharp — clever
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. last — to go on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mine — for digging
  12. last — final
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. perch — the fish
  24. row — a line

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