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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. toast — bread
  3. season — of the year
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lie — to recline
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — in sport
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ground — a position
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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