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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — rain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rest — a break
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — to wash
  19. spring — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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