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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. season — in sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. branch — a division
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — to handle
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — low music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. firm — steady

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