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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.

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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: cap · season · stick · pound · march · bowl · racket · squash

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. season — of the year
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pound — a weight
  9. march — music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. march — the month
  12. squash — the sport
  13. march — the month
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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