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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mug — a face
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cold — not warm
  21. swing — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. season — to add flavour

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