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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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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bear — the animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — low music
  14. charge — a price
  15. last — to go on
  16. kid — to tease
  17. charge — in control
  18. cap — a lid
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. kid — child
  24. last — finally

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