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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. spell — a short time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — to point toward
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fork — in a road
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spell — magic
  15. chip — for betting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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