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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 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 · foot · bowl · band · club · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pass — a permit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. band — a ring
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. season — in sport
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. band — a music group
  19. foot — a measure
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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