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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fine — high quality
  13. track — a path
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. nail — on a finger

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