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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — a trace
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a grade
  18. game — a match
  19. cap — a hat
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. racket — for tennis

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