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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. craft — boats
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. season — of the year
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. date — the fruit
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hand — in cards
  24. date — on the calendar

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