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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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Word bank
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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pop — to visit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pop — soda
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bass — low music
  9. hand — help
  10. season — of the year
  11. bass — the fish
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — in sport
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pop — music

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