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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — high quality
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — thin
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fine — all right
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — a penalty

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