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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 120 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fine — all right
  15. saw — the tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bound — certain
  21. season — of the year
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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