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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. plane — a tool
  4. land — ground
  5. stand — to bear
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. present — a gift
  15. land — a country
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. land — to come down
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. plane — an aircraft

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