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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. clip — to cut
  7. capital — money
  8. cap — a hat
  9. capital — a city
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. band — a ring
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. band — a music group
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ruler — for measuring

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