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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · season · bay · present · kick · fan

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. present — the time now
  8. season — of the year
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. present — there
  18. bay — a horse colour

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