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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 124 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. net — after costs
  8. band — a ring
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a hat
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. rock — music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cap — a lid
  18. net — for catching
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chest — of your body
  22. net — in sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. rock — a stone

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