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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: ball · lie · season · charge · race · bat · toast · craft

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — a contest
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. charge — in control
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. race — humankind
  10. ball — a dance
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lie — to recline
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — in sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bat — the animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — of the year

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