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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. staff — a stick
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bass — the fish
  24. racket — a loud noise

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