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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — to bend
  5. file — a tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lean — thin
  14. season — in sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — the sport
  21. file — a document
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — to 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