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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. field — a subject
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. object — an aim
  11. season — of the year
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. field — for sport
  15. object — a thing
  16. ball — a great time
  17. craft — boats
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ball — a dance
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. season — in sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. object — to protest
  24. bowl — a dish

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