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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. season — of the year
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — in sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — low music
  13. band — a music group
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bear — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — soda
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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