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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. current — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — soda
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fork — in a road
  9. court — of law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. court — for sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. current — electric
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. court — of a king
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hide — animal skin

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