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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: sharp · fan · bowl · season · snap · content · squash · swing

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. swing — in golf
  3. snap — to click
  4. season — in sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. season — of the year
  7. squash — to crush
  8. content — the amount
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. swing — music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. squash — the sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. swing — to play on
  20. content — happy
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. season — to add flavour
  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