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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — thin
  9. present — the time now
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. present — there
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. present — a gift
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chip — to eat

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