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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chair — a leader
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. march — music
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. season — of the year
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. racket — a loud noise

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