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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. club — a group
  16. scale — in music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. club — for golf
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — for dancing

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