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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — a series
  9. pound — a weight
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. board — to get on
  18. tube — a container
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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