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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. capital — a city
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — hurry
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fine — all right
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. capital — money

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