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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rule — government
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cap — a lid
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. board — a committee
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. club — a group
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. board — to get on
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. club — for dancing
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. club — for golf
  22. rule — a law
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ground — a position

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