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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lie — to recline
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — of the year
  19. staff — employees
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. bowl — a dish

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