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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. squash — to crush
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. capital — money
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mark — a grade
  16. capital — a city
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fan — a supporter

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