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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — the time now
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. present — a gift
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — there
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — of a river
  23. season — of the year
  24. squash — the 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