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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. 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. season — to add flavour
  2. toast — bread
  3. season — in sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. season — of the year
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bear — the animal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. 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