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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: pop · mine · fork · saw · fan · suit · stem · mouse

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — soda
  14. suit — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stem — a stem cell

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