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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cue — for pool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. ground — crushed
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. march — the month
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. toast — bread
  17. march — music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — for spectators

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