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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.

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: bear · spring · bass · cabinet · toast · degree · season · chip

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — low music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. degree — an amount
  14. chip — for betting
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spring — of water
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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