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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. season — of the year
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — a stick
  11. land — a country
  12. season — in sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — ground
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — happy
  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