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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hand — help
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. club — a group
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. club — for golf
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. club — for dancing
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fork — a garden tool

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