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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — an aim
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to point toward
  10. object — a thing
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fork — in a road
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to confront
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — to protest
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. deal — a big deal

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