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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. land — ground
  3. season — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stand — to bear
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. plane — a tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bark — to shout
  22. land — a country
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. swing — in golf

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