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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — a skill
  10. roll — a list
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. season — in sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. craft — boats
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spring — the season
  22. pass — a permit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. roll — a cake

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