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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — of the year
  6. spell — a short time
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — rain
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. key — in music

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