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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. present — the time now
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — of ice
  11. object — a thing
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. present — there
  14. object — an aim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. present — a gift

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