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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. swing — music
  6. season — of the year
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. last — final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — finally
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. swing — to play on
  22. toast — bread
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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