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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. swing — music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. foot — a measure
  17. season — in sport
  18. chip — for betting
  19. swing — in golf
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — a tin

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