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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — in a road
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — for digging
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spring — the season
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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