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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — a law
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — government
  14. net — in sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — for catching
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — a trail

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