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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. current — happening now
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. plane — a tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stand — to bear
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. scale — in music
  21. current — of water
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — electric

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