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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. season — of the year
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a dance
  8. file — a tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — in sport
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. firm — steady
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cap — a hat
  23. file — a document
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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