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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cap — a lid
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. face — part of the head
  10. scale — in music
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. branch — a division
  15. cue — for pool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cap — of ice

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