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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. dip — to sink
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. club — for golf
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. club — a group
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pass — a permit
  24. season — in sport

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