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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. net — after costs
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rock — a stone
  12. court — of a king
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — of the year
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — low music
  18. net — in sport
  19. rock — music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. season — in sport
  24. net — for catching

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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