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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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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: kick · ball · cold · pitch · season · bowl · wake · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cold — not warm
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. season — in sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. season — of the year
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kick — in football
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ball — a round shape

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