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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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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. season — of the year
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. season — in sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable

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