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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 116 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: mine · cap · rash · deal · saw · march · pit · fork

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rash — a series
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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