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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. season — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — a grade
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bound — obliged
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — to rob
  17. swing — music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ground — a position
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a trace
  24. plane — an aircraft

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