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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stem — to come from
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — help
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fork — in a road
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mug — a face

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