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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. clip — a video
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — hasty
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cap — of ice
  20. clip — for paper
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bowl — a dish

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