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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: dip · pit · season · bowl · content · game · rash · calf

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rash — a series
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. content — happy
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pit — a hole
  9. season — of the year
  10. game — a match
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. content — the amount
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. season — in sport
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rash — hasty
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pit — in a race

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