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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: game · firm · season · row · fork · rash · mate · mug

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — a face
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mate — to breed
  10. game — a match
  11. mate — a friend
  12. season — in sport
  13. mug — a cup
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. firm — decided
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rash — a series
  19. season — of the year
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rash — hasty
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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