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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. spell — a short time
  3. present — the time now
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. season — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wake — a trail
  18. present — there
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — completely
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. spell — magic

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