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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — in sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. file — a document
  7. can — a tin
  8. object — a thing
  9. bass — low music
  10. object — an aim
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bass — the fish
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — magic
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. object — to protest
  20. file — a tool
  21. season — of the year
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. can — to be able to

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