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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: safe · kick · snap · season · bowl · mark · pitcher · ball

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. kick — in football
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mark — a grade
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to click
  16. season — in sport
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. season — of the year
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. kick — with a leg

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