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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rush — hurry
  7. toast — bread
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pit — a hole
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. roll — a cake
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — for a hammer

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