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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — completely
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kick — in football
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — thin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. march — the month
  24. kick — a thrill

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