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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — low music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. season — of the year
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — a path
  8. can — to be able to
  9. track — to keep track
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a song
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  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