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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stem — to come from
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. track — to keep track
  24. racket — for tennis

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