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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — to play on
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a hole

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