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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. vault — a safe
  5. swing — music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. can — to be able to
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. game — a match
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ball — a great time
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. swing — to play on
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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