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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. season — of the year
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mate — to breed
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ground — a position
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — a friend
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rock — music
  22. bore — to drill
  23. season — in sport
  24. date — the fruit

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