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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a document
  9. row — a line
  10. season — in sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. row — to paddle
  13. file — a line of people
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — of the year
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. file — a tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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