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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: leaves · kid · season · jam · fork · mark · cap · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. season — in sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fine — high quality
  6. kid — child
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cap — a lid
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cap — a hat
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cap — of ice
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mark — a trace

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