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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fork — in a road
  4. court — of a king
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. drill — the tool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lean — to bend
  12. court — of law
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. foot — a measure
  17. court — for sport
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. drill — army training
  24. cell — in biology

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