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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bound — tied together
  6. root — of a word
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bound — obliged
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — a list
  14. root — the cause
  15. season — of the year
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bound — certain
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. season — in sport

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