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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cold — an illness
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — of law
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. court — of a king
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cold — not warm
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. season — of the year
  16. bear — the animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. charge — in control
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bowl — a dish

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