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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — bread
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rest — a break
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. swing — to play on
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pit — in a race
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. season — of the year
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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