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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — to breed
  6. season — of the year
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mate — a friend
  10. degree — temperature
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. degree — from a university
  21. swing — in golf
  22. degree — an amount
  23. swing — music
  24. bear — the animal

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