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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bass — low music
  4. race — a contest
  5. can — to be able to
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — the most important part
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wax — to grow
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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