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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. key — in music
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mug — to rob
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. season — in sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mark — a trace

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