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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. land — to come down
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tube — the underground
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. season — of the year
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — ground
  16. stem — to come from
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. land — a country
  21. tube — a container
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tube — in a tire

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