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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mark — a grade
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — in sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. season — of the year
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — low music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — the fish
  22. root — the cause
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fan — a supporter

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