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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. spell — magic
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bore — to drill
  7. season — of the year
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rest — a break
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spell — letters
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. court — of law
  17. rest — what's left
  18. court — for sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bore — to tire
  22. roll — a list
  23. court — of a king
  24. spell — a short time

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