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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — what's left
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. season — of the year
  15. rest — a break
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rest — what's left
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mine — an explosive

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