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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — of the year
  9. rest — what's left
  10. last — finally
  11. rest — what's left
  12. last — to go on
  13. season — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — a break
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — final
  24. racket — for tennis

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