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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 · lash · mine · toast · season · file · perch · ball

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. file — a document
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. file — a tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. season — in sport
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. perch — the fish

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