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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. file — a line of people
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. file — a tool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. file — a document
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. jam — in traffic

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