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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rash — hasty
  19. season — of the year
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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