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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: bowl · squash · season · object · mug · racket · net · jam

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. season — of the year
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. object — a thing
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. net — for catching
  11. mug — a cup
  12. net — in sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. net — after costs
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. season — in sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mug — a face

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