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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. suit — clothes
  3. season — of the year
  4. object — to protest
  5. season — in sport
  6. row — a line
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. suit — to fit
  12. club — for dancing
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. degree — from a university
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — low music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — a thing
  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