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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fork — in a road
  16. content — the amount
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. board — a committee
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. content — happy

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