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

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — a country
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. land — to come down
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. land — ground

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