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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pit — a hole
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — a break
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. key — in music
  19. content — the amount
  20. key — for a lock
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. toast — the most admired

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