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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. squash — the sport
  5. perch — the fish
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — to confront
  11. bass — low music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — of the year
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — of a river
  21. face — to point toward
  22. squash — to crush
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bulb — of a plant

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