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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fork — in a road
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. capital — a city
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. season — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — after costs
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. net — in sport
  23. capital — money
  24. leaves — lets stay

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