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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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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 · pass · fork · present · jam · pop · snap · toast

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fork — in a road
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. pass — a permit
  9. season — in sport
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. season — of the year
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. toast — bread
  17. present — there
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. present — a gift
  20. pop — music
  21. present — the time now
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pass — to succeed

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