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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cap — of ice
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — all right
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — a lid
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. band — a music group
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fork — to eat with

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