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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: fine · mate · pit · mouse · wake · sharp · season · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. sharp — clever
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fine — all right
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mate — a friend
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fine — high quality
  23. season — in sport
  24. pit — a hole

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