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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 120 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: bowl · wave · ball · rush · season · saw · bat · can

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bat — the animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wave — of the sea

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