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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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468
Word bank
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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — all right
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. squash — to crush
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. season — in sport
  13. tube — the underground
  14. field — farmland
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — high quality
  17. squash — the sport
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. field — a subject
  23. season — of the year
  24. tube — a container

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