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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 · cell · mug · firm · drill · spell · scale · stick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. firm — decided
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. spell — letters
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cell — in biology
  9. drill — army training
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — the tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spell — magic
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — steady
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cell — in a prison

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