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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fine — all right
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — a country
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — low music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mate — a partner
  23. land — ground
  24. bass — the instrument

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