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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spell — letters
  5. key — for a lock
  6. roll — a cake
  7. key — the most important part
  8. can — to be able to
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — magic
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. roll — a list
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. can — a tin
  19. key — in music
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. chair — a professorship
  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