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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · lean · leaves · fan · bowl · ground · game · season

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ground — the earth
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — a position
  14. lean — thin
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — of the year

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