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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — ground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. branch — a division
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. land — a country
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ground — the earth
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — to come down
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — a position
  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