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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. season — of the year
  5. swing — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ground — a position
  10. kick — in football
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ground — crushed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. swing — to play on
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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