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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. season — in sport
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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