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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — a song
  3. bass — low music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — to come down
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — a country
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. track — a path
  12. bass — the fish
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. land — ground
  18. suit — in cards

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