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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. sharp — clever
  4. season — in sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — in music
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — of the year
  10. court — of law
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. court — of a king
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — a partner
  20. court — for sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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