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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rest — a break
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bound — certain
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pop — music
  24. bound — obliged

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