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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — to push
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — in a road
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rush — a thrill

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