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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. last — to go on
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — there
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cell — in biology
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cell — a phone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. present — a gift
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. key — in music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — the time now

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