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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. present — there
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — of the year
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. present — a gift
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rock — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fork — in a road

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