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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.

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: season · fork · club · bowl · tube · field · present · last

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — a group
  6. field — a subject
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. last — to go on
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — in sport
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. club — for golf
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. club — for dancing
  20. field — for sport
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. tube — the underground
  24. present — there

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