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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fork — in a road
  9. object — to protest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. object — a thing
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. object — an aim
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — a match
  24. patient — a sick person

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