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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — army training
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rest — a break
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fork — a garden tool

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