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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 120 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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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: pit · season · lie · fan · bass · pop · trunk · bowl

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pop — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. season — in sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — low music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. season — of the year
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pop — soda
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pit — in a race

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