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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rock — music
  4. season — in sport
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rock — a stone
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. season — of the year

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