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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: cap · pass · fork · spell · object · hand

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hand — help
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. object — an aim
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. object — to protest
  16. spell — letters
  17. cap — a hat
  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