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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cold — an illness
  3. mark — a trace
  4. charge — in control
  5. season — in sport
  6. club — a group
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. kick — in football
  12. toast — bread
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. club — for golf
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. season — of the year
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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