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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · race · fork · stick · fine · fan · spell · chip

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — a contest
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — magic
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — all right
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — letters

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