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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. season — of the year
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bank — of a river
  5. season — in sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — farmland
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. bank — for money
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — for sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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