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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. race — the arms race
  5. firm — decided
  6. race — a contest
  7. capital — money
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fork — in a road
  12. firm — steady
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — humankind
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. firm — a company
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  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