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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kid — to tease
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fine — high quality
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — of the year
  23. kid — child
  24. mark — to pay attention

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