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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cap — a hat
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cap — of ice
  7. capital — a city
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. craft — boats
  15. capital — money
  16. fork — in a road
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. capital — a big letter

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