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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. swing — music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. game — a match
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — a lid
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — the underground
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pass — a permit
  24. swing — in golf

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