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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.

Make a worksheet

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: deal · bank · season · bass · game · craft · wind · saw

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. season — of the year
  3. craft — a skill
  4. season — in sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. craft — boats
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bank — of a river
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bass — the fish
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — a match
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — wild animals
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — low music

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