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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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Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. content — the amount
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. season — of the year
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rest — a break
  24. march — music

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