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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. season — of the year
  9. craft — a skill
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — a hint
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cell — in a prison

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