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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: key · rash · bear · bass · mouse · stand · season · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bass — low music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rash — a series
  7. key — in music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spell — magic
  15. bear — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spell — letters
  24. mouse — 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