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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mug — a face
  3. march — the month
  4. cap — of ice
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ground — a position
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. march — music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ground — crushed

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