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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · current · bass · key · present · bay · chest · bear

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. present — there
  5. season — in sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — of water
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bass — low music
  12. chest — a box
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. current — happening now
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. current — electric
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — the animal

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