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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 116 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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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: dip · leaves · mate · cabinet · face · season · pitch · bass

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. season — in sport
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bass — low music
  15. face — to confront
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — to sink
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitch — completely

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