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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — in a road

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