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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. suit — to fit
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. race — humankind
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. season — of the year
  9. race — a contest
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. season — in sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hand — help
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bass — low music

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