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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. march — the month
  5. season — of the year
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. march — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. march — the month
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bass — low music
  20. season — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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