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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cap — a hat
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. clip — a video
  17. cue — for pool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bay — a horse colour

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