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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — a company
  11. chest — of your body
  12. firm — steady
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — low music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chest — a box
  21. season — of the year
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. firm — decided
  24. chest — of your body

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