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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. shower — rain
  6. ball — a great time
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. toast — bread
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. season — in sport
  16. ball — a dance
  17. season — of the year
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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