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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cue — for pool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. face — to confront
  19. band — a ring
  20. cue — a hint
  21. band — a music group
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fork — a garden tool

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