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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 120 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: bay · march · wound · object · nail · can · fork · content

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — a tin
  12. march — music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. content — happy
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. content — the amount
  20. can — a tin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. object — an aim

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