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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fine — all right
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. can — to be able to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fine — a penalty

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