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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — of the year
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. season — in sport
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — for sport
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bass — the fish
  21. field — farmland
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — army training

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