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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. present — there
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. toast — bread
  6. object — an aim
  7. fork — in a road
  8. season — of the year
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. current — electric
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. current — happening now
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. current — of water
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. object — to protest
  20. season — in sport
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitch — completely
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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