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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mug — a cup
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — a match
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. season — of the year
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. content — the amount
  24. pitcher — a jug

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