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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · season · can · game · rash · fine · fan · pitch

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — completely
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — of the year
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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