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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bass — low music
  5. season — of the year
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the fish
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. drill — army training
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. drill — a practice
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fall — the season
  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