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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a great time
  5. present — there
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to confront
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cue — a signal
  17. season — in sport
  18. present — a gift
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. present — the time now
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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