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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: leaves · bass · trunk · bear · date · pit · spring · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — the fruit
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bear — the animal

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