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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. field — a subject
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — to recline

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