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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.

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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — to get on
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — a container
  6. season — of the year
  7. squash — to crush
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. key — for a lock
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bass — the fish
  17. kid — child
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kid — to tease
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bass — low music

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