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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 120 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — hasty
  4. firm — steady
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — the cause
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — a company
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bass — low music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. season — in sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. bass — the instrument

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