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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. court — of a king
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. season — in sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. court — of law
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — clothes
  24. season — of the year

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