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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. land — a country
  3. mug — to rob
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cap — a lid
  10. season — of the year
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — to come down
  13. can — a tin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mug — a face
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mug — a cup
  23. land — ground
  24. fork — a garden tool

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