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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. last — final
  5. mug — to rob
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mug — a face
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. game — wild animals
  13. last — to go on
  14. season — of the year
  15. game — a match
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. present — there
  21. mug — a cup
  22. last — finally
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lean — thin

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