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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — of the year
  3. net — after costs
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. net — in sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rest — a break
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — for catching
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — low music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. season — in sport

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