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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 · patient · jam · cold · cue · safe · spell · prune

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. spell — magic
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — an illness
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — a short time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cue — a hint
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. prune — to trim

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