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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — of the year
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — to bear
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bass — the fish
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — low music

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