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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — in a road
  6. drill — army training
  7. game — a match
  8. stock — goods
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — to fit
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — shares
  15. suit — clothes
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. drill — a practice
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. suit — in cards
  24. drill — the tool

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