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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: chair · tube · net · dip · bass · season · fine · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tube — a container
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. net — in sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — for catching
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. season — of the year
  17. chair — a leader
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — after costs
  20. bass — low music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — in sport
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fine — high quality

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