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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. drill — army training
  4. net — for catching
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wake — a trail
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. drill — a practice
  16. craft — boats
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — to keep secret

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