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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fork — in a road
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — money
  13. land — to come down
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pass — a permit
  16. land — a country
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — employees
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pass — to spend time

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