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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's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. season — of the year
  3. present — the time now
  4. band — a music group
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. present — a gift
  8. band — a ring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ball — a dance
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. present — there
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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