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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 120 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: ball · leaves · bowl · season · rock · deal · bay · march

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in 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. leaves — of a tree
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rock — a stone
  7. march — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. march — the month
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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