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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: season · spell · rest · ground · suit · spring · toast · bass

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. toast — bread
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spell — magic
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. season — of the year
  10. ground — a position
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bass — the fish
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rest — a break
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ground — the earth
  23. spring — the season
  24. bass — low music

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