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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — thin
  9. roll — a list
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lean — to bend
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — goods
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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