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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 116 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: bowl · sharp · dip · stand · can · season · drill · pitch

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitch — completely
  8. season — in sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — army training
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — of the year
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. dip — to sink
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — to bear
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  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