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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · bear · rest · shower · firm · degree · rock · cabinet

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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 — a garden tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. degree — temperature
  6. firm — decided
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — steady
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rock — music
  19. rest — a break
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. firm — a company
  23. shower — rain
  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