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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. net — for catching
  6. bass — low music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bass — the fish
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. net — in sport
  13. snap — to click
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. season — in sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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