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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kid — child
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — low music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. content — happy
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — to rest against

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