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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. scale — in music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. row — to paddle
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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