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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. content — happy
  3. swing — music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. season — in sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. content — the amount
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — in golf
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. swing — to play on
  20. season — of the year
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pop — to visit

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