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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. march — the month
  3. content — the amount
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. can — to be able to
  6. march — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — the cause
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. season — of the year
  14. root — of a word
  15. rest — a break
  16. content — happy
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — in sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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