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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pop — soda
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. season — of the year
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lean — thin
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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