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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — for catching
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. net — in sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. net — after costs
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. toast — bread
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. season — of the year
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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