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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · cabinet · squash · firm · charge · wave · key · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. charge — a price
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — the most important part
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — in sport
  12. key — in music
  13. firm — steady
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. charge — in control
  17. key — for a lock
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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