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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fine — all right
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. season — of the year
  8. bass — low music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. game — a match
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. squash — to crush
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bowl — to roll

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