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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. net — for catching
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — a thing
  9. drill — a practice
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bass — the fish
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — an aim
  20. drill — the tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. scale — in 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