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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: season · stick · pit · chair · bowl · drill · toast · sharp

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. season — in sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. toast — bread
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pit — in a race
  12. season — of the year
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. drill — army training
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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