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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.

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: saw · stand · spell · row · season · root · fork · march

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. root — the cause
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stand — to bear
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — a short time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spell — letters
  15. season — of the year
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. march — music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spell — magic
  21. root — of a word
  22. season — in sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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