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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. club — a group
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — to crush
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. season — in sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for golf
  17. row — to paddle
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — of the year
  22. club — for dancing
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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