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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. spell — magic
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. fork — in a road
  16. season — of the year
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitch — completely
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. season — in sport
  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