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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — child
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — the fish
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pop — music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — to breed

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