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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: swing · pass · bulb · bowl · last · season · mark · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. last — finally
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pass — a permit
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mark — a trace
  11. season — of the year
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. last — final
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. game — a match
  20. swing — music
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bowl — a dish

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