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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: mark · rush · season · bowl · ball · bass · rule · saw

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bass — low music
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rule — government
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rush — hurry
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rule — a law

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