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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ground — crushed
  6. game — a match
  7. swing — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — a position
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ground — the earth
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rock — music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rock — a stone

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