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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — for golf
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hand — in cards
  12. club — a group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — of a king
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for dancing

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