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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. season — of the year
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rush — hurry
  6. season — in sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. game — a match
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — to bear
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a great time
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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