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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 124 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. present — there
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — of ice
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cap — a hat
  16. present — a gift
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fork — in a road
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — the time now
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rock — music

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