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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. season — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. season — of the year
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. swing — to play on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — clever
  24. swing — music

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