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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. content — the amount
  3. fork — in a road
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. season — in sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — happy
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — to go on
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — final
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — of the year

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