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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — of the year
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. craft — a handicraft

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