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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. land — a country
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hand — help
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — in sport
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — a partner
  20. land — ground
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. land — to come down
  24. bore — to drill

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