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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. race — humankind
  4. cap — a lid
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. present — there
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pop — soda
  12. race — a contest
  13. present — the time now
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — in a road
  17. race — the arms race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. present — a gift
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pop — to visit

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