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

Word bank: pit · fall · safe · bowl · toast · swing · fork · spell

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — letters
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fall — the season
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fork — in a road
  13. swing — music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — bread
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spell — magic

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