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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ground — a position
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — a garden tool

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