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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: bass · game · season · wave · club · key · present · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. key — for a lock
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — in music
  5. present — a gift
  6. bass — low music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. game — wild animals
  10. present — there
  11. game — a match
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — a group
  14. snap — to click
  15. club — for golf
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — in sport
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bass — the fish
  23. season — of the year
  24. present — the time now

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