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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: foot · toast · bark · field · fork · season · pit · can

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. season — of the year
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — bread
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bark — to shout
  22. field — a subject
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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