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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spell — a short time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spell — letters
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spell — magic
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. roll — a list
  22. mark — a grade
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lean — thin

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