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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — in sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. key — in music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. drill — a practice
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. key — for a lock
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. key — the most important part
  23. season — of the year
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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