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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: cell · fork · kick · cap · march · can

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — to be able to
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. kick — in football
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. march — music
  17. kick — with a leg
  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