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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — in a road
  6. band — a ring
  7. fine — high quality
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. scale — in music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. season — in sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — size or range
  19. band — a music group
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wake — a trail
  23. season — of the year
  24. band — a rubber band

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