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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: season · face · row · pitch · field · leaves · toast · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. fork — in a road
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. field — a subject
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. face — to confront
  12. season — in sport
  13. field — for sport
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. face — part of the head
  17. field — farmland
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. season — of the year
  20. face — to point toward
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitch — completely

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