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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. season — in sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — shares
  7. race — humankind
  8. bank — for money
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — there
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. drill — army training
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — a contest
  15. rock — a stone
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stock — goods
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. season — of the year
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. present — the time now

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