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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cap — a lid
  5. game — a match
  6. season — in sport
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — in biology
  9. board — a committee
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. game — wild animals
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. board — to get on
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spell — letters
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. season — of the year
  24. temple — a place of worship

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