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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. net — for catching
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fork — in a road
  15. season — of the year
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. net — in sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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