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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: season · spring · suit · bowl · fall · pit · wound · fine

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fall — the season
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — of the year
  10. spring — the season
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. suit — to fit

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