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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. toast — bread
  13. season — of the year
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — low music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. season — in sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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