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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: season · cue · stand · bat · rash · present · bowl · board

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rash — a series
  8. board — a committee
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. present — the time now
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — in sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cue — a signal
  19. board — to get on
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cue — for pool
  23. season — of the year
  24. present — a gift

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