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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — electric
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — in music
  17. net — for catching
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. suit — in cards
  21. season — in sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — after costs
  24. content — happy

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