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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spell — magic
  4. pop — music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pop — soda
  10. spell — letters
  11. bound — certain
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cap — a lid
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — a contest
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. race — humankind
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. race — the arms race

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