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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.

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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bore — to drill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. band — a ring
  8. season — of the year
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. craft — boats
  11. bass — low music
  12. band — a music group
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fine — all right
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. craft — a skill

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