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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. track — a path
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a hat
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. vault — a safe
  18. track — a song
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. track — to keep track
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — low 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