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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bass — low music
  7. season — of the year
  8. toast — bread
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chair — a leader
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mate — a friend
  22. hand — help
  23. chair — a professorship
  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