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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spell — letters
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — a short time
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. tube — a container
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. spell — magic
  16. season — of the year
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fork — a garden tool

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