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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — in sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. drill — the 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