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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. season — of the year
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pop — soda
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pop — to visit
  10. land — ground
  11. tube — a container
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. craft — boats
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — the underground
  18. craft — a skill
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — to add flavour
  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