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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. suit — to fit
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — in sport
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. toast — bread
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. suit — clothes
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cold — an illness

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