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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. spell — magic
  3. capital — money
  4. firm — decided
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hand — in cards
  10. capital — a city
  11. tube — a container
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. firm — a company
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hand — help
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — letters
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — steady
  24. mark — a grade

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