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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: roll · season · spell · fork · stock · leaves · lie · prune

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. spell — letters
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. prune — to trim
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a list
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — shares
  24. spell — a short time

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