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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · fork · foot · pass · sharp · cap

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pass — a permit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cap — a lid

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