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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fork — in a road
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — to sink
  6. march — the month
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cell — a phone
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. march — music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. perch — the fish
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — to bear
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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