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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for golf
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — of the year
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. present — a gift
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. club — a group
  13. toast — bread
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — to get on
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — in sport
  19. club — for dancing
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. present — the time now
  22. fall — the season
  23. board — a committee
  24. present — there

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