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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. current — of water
  12. firm — decided
  13. degree — from a university
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — help
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fork — in a road

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