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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mug — to rob
  3. last — to go on
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. content — happy
  6. season — of the year
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stand — to bear
  9. key — in music
  10. net — after costs
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — finally
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. net — for catching
  16. key — the most important part
  17. net — in sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. key — for a lock
  22. last — final
  23. content — the amount
  24. mug — a face

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