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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 · mug · foot · can · fork · snap · object · ground

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cap — of ice
  6. object — an aim
  7. ground — the earth
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. object — a thing
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cap — a hat
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ground — a position
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to click
  21. object — to protest
  22. mug — a face
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — part of the body

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