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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. season — of the year
  20. rule — government
  21. bat — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stand — for spectators

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