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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.

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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: bowl · fan · ball · season · suit · pass · fall · tube

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. season — of the year
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a dance
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  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