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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: straw · dip · can · bowl · season · band · leaves · ground

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. season — of the year
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — in sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ground — a position
  9. band — a ring
  10. ground — crushed
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a music group
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ground — the earth
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. leaves — to go away

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