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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stand — to bear
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. band — a music group
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. band — a ring
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. can — to be able to
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pound — to hit hard

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