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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chair — a leader
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — to come down
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — a break
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. prune — to trim
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. land — a country

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