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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. court — of law
  3. season — in sport
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — of a king
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bank — of a river
  24. season — to add flavour

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