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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hand — help
  14. season — in sport
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kick — in football
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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