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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. snap — to click
  16. field — a subject
  17. bound — certain
  18. field — for sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. field — farmland
  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