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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. staff — employees
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spring — a coil
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — in sport
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. season — of the year
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stand — on your feet

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