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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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a ring
  7. net — for catching
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. net — in sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — of the year
  16. bass — low music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — a friend
  19. net — after costs
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bass — the fish

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