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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. last — finally
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cap — a lid
  6. season — of the year
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wake — a trail
  16. last — final
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. season — in sport
  23. cap — of ice
  24. kick — in football

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