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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stand — to bear
  7. season — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. track — a song
  12. season — of the year
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. track — to keep track
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly

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