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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. toast — bread
  5. present — there
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. season — in sport
  8. bark — to shout
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. suit — in cards
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. present — a gift
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. season — of the year
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. suit — clothes
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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