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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — employees
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. content — the amount
  6. season — of the year
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. staff — a stick
  10. content — happy
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. foot — a measure
  21. season — in sport
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rest — a break
  24. foot — the bottom

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