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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. season — of the year
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mark — a grade
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kid — child
  13. degree — temperature
  14. roll — a list
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. roll — a cake
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fork — a garden 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