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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: band · content · present · bass · leaves · mug · season · field

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. season — of the year
  3. bass — low music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mug — a face
  11. present — the time now
  12. content — happy
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. field — a subject
  15. mug — a cup
  16. field — farmland
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mug — to rob
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. field — for sport

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