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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · season · mark · bowl · wave · stick

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — in sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. staff — a stick

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