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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. season — of the year
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fine — all right
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — a measure

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