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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. shower — rain
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. march — the month
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — to bear
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. march — music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. march — the month
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. bass — low music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. shower — to wash

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