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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: straw · season · leaves · net · fork · kid · ball · toast

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — in a road
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. season — of the year
  7. toast — bread
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. net — after costs
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. kid — child
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ball — a great time
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ball — a round shape

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