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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 120 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: arm · bear · season · bowl · game · perch · mug · spring

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spring — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mug — to rob
  10. game — a match
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. season — of the year
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spring — of water
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mug — a face
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bear — the animal

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