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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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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. season — in sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mug — a face
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pit — a hole
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. club — a group
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. perch — the fish
  17. season — of the year
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — for golf
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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