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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ground · bowl · racket · snap · bank · season · rash · sharp

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — of a river
  3. snap — to click
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rash — a series
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. season — of the year
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ground — the earth
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. season — in sport
  17. ground — crushed
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rash — hasty
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — a loud noise

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