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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitch — completely
  8. date — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. craft — boats
  24. bowl — to roll

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