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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 · mine · fall · stand · jam · season · rock · plane

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. season — in sport
  10. mine — for digging
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fall — to drop
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — the season
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. season — of the year
  24. plane — a tool

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