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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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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: fork · rash · last · content · land · leaves · stem · pit

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. land — ground
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pit — in a race
  9. content — the amount
  10. land — a country
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. last — finally
  14. content — happy
  15. land — to come down
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. leaves — of a tree

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