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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 120 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. branch — a division
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — a break
  13. cap — of ice
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — a stone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — to move gently

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