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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: suit · bowl · rash · squash · season · toast · ball · content

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. squash — the sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. content — the amount
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. content — happy
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a great time
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rash — a series
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — in sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. suit — clothes
  23. season — of the year
  24. suit — to fit

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