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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: ground · stand · spell · craft · cabinet · fork · mine · rush

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fork — in a road
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — a skill
  9. spell — magic
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. ground — a position
  19. craft — boats
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ground — crushed

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