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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. season — in sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. season — of the year
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. suit — clothes
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — the season
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — in a road
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — of water
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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