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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a music group
  6. season — in sport
  7. rock — a stone
  8. season — of the year
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. squash — the sport
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. squash — to crush
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. band — a ring
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — music

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