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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pass — a permit
  3. swing — in golf
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — to play on
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. key — in music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — for a lock
  13. toast — bread
  14. season — in sport
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. swing — music

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