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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. capital — money
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. capital — a city
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stand — to bear
  12. season — of the year
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bat — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. season — in sport
  23. craft — boats
  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