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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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. season — of the year
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bank — of a river
  8. season — in sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bass — low music
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fork — to eat with

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