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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — high quality
  3. shower — to wash
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — all right
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitch — completely
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. cap — of ice
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cap — a lid
  23. shower — rain
  24. cap — a hat

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