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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. object — to protest
  8. season — of the year
  9. toast — bread
  10. object — an aim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. object — a thing
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — a grade
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mark — a trace
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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