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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rock — a stone
  3. season — of the year
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rock — music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. track — a path
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. track — a song
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. roll — a list
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bowl — a football final

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