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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. content — happy
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. last — final
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. chair — a leader
  16. content — the amount
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — finally
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. season — in sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chair — to sit on

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