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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — low music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tube — in a tire

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