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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. club — for golf
  3. can — to be able to
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. season — in sport
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. press — a publisher
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. club — a group
  24. spring — a coil

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