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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — in sport
  13. land — ground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — of the year
  17. ground — crushed
  18. land — to come down
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ground — a position
  21. land — a country
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — for tennis

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