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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pop — to visit
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pop — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pop — soda
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. roll — a list
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. season — of the year
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cap — a lid

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