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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — of the year
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. date — the fruit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bass — low music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — the fish

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