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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. season — in sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — of the year
  9. spring — the season
  10. swing — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spring — of water
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. swing — in golf
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — letters
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. swing — to play on
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. spell — magic

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