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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. land — ground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. capital — money
  13. cap — a hat
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fork — to eat with

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