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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — all right
  18. fork — in a road
  19. season — in sport
  20. row — a line
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wave — with your hand

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