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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. capital — money
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. capital — a city
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. game — a match
  9. craft — a skill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to confront
  14. game — wild animals
  15. craft — boats
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a great time
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ball — a dance
  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