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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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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 · wake · fork · pound · can · key · stem · craft

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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 — to be able to
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wake — a trail
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cap — of ice
  8. craft — boats
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. key — in music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. can — a tin
  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