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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — of ice
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. net — after costs
  15. bass — low music
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — a hat
  20. net — for catching
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — in sport
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. can — to be able to

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