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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cue — a hint
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. season — in sport
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wake — a trail
  15. swing — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. plane — a tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cue — for pool
  22. season — of the year
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pitch — a sports field

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