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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: last · fork · mate · chest · roll · foot · can · cap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fork — in a road
  4. last — final
  5. mate — a partner
  6. can — to be able to
  7. last — to go on
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. can — a tin
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. roll — a list
  19. cap — of ice
  20. last — finally
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fork — to eat with

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