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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — to bear
  7. land — a country
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — to come down
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — ground
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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