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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — in sport
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. drill — army training
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. degree — an amount
  10. season — of the year
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. degree — from a university
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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