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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lean — to bend
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a great time
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. root — the cause
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rest — a break
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. root — of a word
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — music

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