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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a committee
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — magic
  8. fork — in a road
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. track — to keep track
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — a path
  16. dip — to sink
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spell — letters
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. rest — a break
  24. season — in sport

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