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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. stand — to bear
  20. season — of the year
  21. spring — of water
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fork — in a road

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