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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — the fish
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. band — a ring
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — a line
  21. band — a music group
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pit — in a race
  24. band — a rubber band

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