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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — help
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pop — music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. roll — a list

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