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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fork — in a road
  4. key — the most important part
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — for a lock
  9. row — a line
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pass — a permit
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — in music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — a garden tool

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