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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. capital — a city
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. content — the amount
  19. field — for sport
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. capital — money
  24. bear — to put up with

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