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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. season — in sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mark — a grade
  11. suit — to fit
  12. season — of the year
  13. plane — a tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mark — a trace
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. branch — a division
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. suit — clothes
  24. staff — employees

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