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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — of the year
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. dip — to sink
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. object — to protest
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. sharp — clever
  23. craft — boats
  24. fork — in a road

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