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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fork — in a road
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. toast — bread
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — a lid
  9. court — of a king
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. race — the arms race
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rock — a stone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. race — humankind

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