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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: pit · spell · lie · ruler · board · last · season · bowl

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. pit — in a race
  6. season — of the year
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. board — to get on
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — to go on
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a football final

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