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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. land — to come down
  10. fork — in a road
  11. object — a thing
  12. season — of the year
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. object — to protest
  16. land — a country
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. track — a path
  20. cap — a lid
  21. season — in sport
  22. object — an aim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cap — a hat

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