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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. club — for dancing
  5. board — to get on
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. club — a group
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a committee
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. club — for golf
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spring — of water

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