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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spring — the season
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — for a hammer

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