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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. club — for golf
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cap — a lid
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. club — a group
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — in a road

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