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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.

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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: suit · squash · craft · roll · lean · season · land · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lean — thin
  3. season — in sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. roll — a list
  11. craft — a skill
  12. land — ground
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. suit — to fit
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — of the year
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. land — to come down
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lean — to bend

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