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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.

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: board · bowl · season · mate · pit · hand · content · bass

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mate — a friend
  5. season — of the year
  6. mate — a partner
  7. content — happy
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. season — in sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. board — to get on
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — help
  16. pit — a hole
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bass — low music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. hand — in cards
  23. content — the amount
  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