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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: rest · spell · mine · stand · season · mouse · bowl · net

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mine — for digging
  4. net — in sport
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rest — a break
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — letters
  18. season — of the year
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — for catching
  24. bowl — a dish

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