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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fork — in a road
  5. season — in sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — of the year
  9. branch — a division
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. saw — the tool

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