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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. suit — clothes
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. roll — a cake
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — in sport
  8. roll — a list
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. spring — the season
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. season — of the year
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spring — of water
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — to fit
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. spring — a coil
  24. roll — on a roll

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