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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. land — a country
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — a division
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. land — to come down
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fan — a supporter

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