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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. board — a committee
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — of the year
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. board — to get on
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. object — an aim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fork — in a road
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. object — a thing
  21. season — in sport
  22. toast — bread
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. object — to protest

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