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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: hide · bowl · lean · pitcher · sharp · march · squash · season

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. season — in sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — of the year
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. march — the month
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. squash — the sport
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lean — thin

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