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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 116 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
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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: ground · racket · spell · prune · wave · bowl · season · board

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — letters
  4. ground — the earth
  5. board — to get on
  6. spell — a short time
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ground — crushed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — of the year
  15. ground — a position
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. season — in sport
  18. spell — magic
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. prune — to trim
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a committee
  24. bowl — to roll

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