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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. craft — boats
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — in sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — a skill
  8. season — of the year
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. staff — employees
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pop — soda
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pop — music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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