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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cap — a lid
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fork — in a road
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. file — a document
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cap — of ice
  14. court — of law
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. squash — to crush
  17. court — of a king
  18. track — a path
  19. court — for sport
  20. file — a tool
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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