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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.

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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: mug · trunk · jam · kid · mark · mate · bass · season

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — in sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mug — a face
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bass — low music
  18. kid — child
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bass — the fish
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — of the year
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bass — the instrument

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