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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. last — final
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — finally
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — for catching
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. coach — a trainer

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