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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fork — in a road
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. season — in sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. game — a match
  14. object — a thing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rash — a series

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