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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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468
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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — a division
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — boats
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. present — there
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cue — a signal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. cue — a hint
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cue — for pool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. present — the time now
  21. season — in sport
  22. swing — in golf
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fork — to eat with

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