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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. branch — of a bank
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — the fish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mug — to rob
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mug — a face
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — a division
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. season — in sport
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. face — to confront
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. face — to point toward
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  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