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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — in sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. toast — bread
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — the animal

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