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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 120 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: season · net · tube · charge · bass · fork · wake · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — in control
  7. tube — a container
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bass — the fish
  10. charge — electricity
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — in sport
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. fork — to eat with

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