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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bass — low music
  3. tube — a container
  4. season — in sport
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chest — of your body
  7. firm — a company
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. pass — a permit
  19. toast — bread
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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