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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. roll — a cake
  3. firm — steady
  4. ball — a great time
  5. firm — a company
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. roll — a list
  10. season — of the year
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — of water
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pop — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pop — to visit
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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