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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fork — in a road
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — a path
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — an illness
  10. season — of the year
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. track — to keep track
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fine — all right
  17. season — in sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. mate — to breed
  24. shower — to wash

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