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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. content — happy
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — a trail
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. content — the amount
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. firm — decided
  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