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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bass — low music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. march — music
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. net — for catching
  14. march — the month
  15. net — after costs
  16. swing — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a grade
  19. season — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bass — the fish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spring — the season
  24. mark — a trace

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