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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. toast — bread
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rule — government
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — in sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. court — of a king
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. court — of law
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a dance
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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