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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: toast · clip · date · season · arm · bass · cue · bowl

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. date — the fruit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. clip — a video
  7. toast — bread
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. clip — to cut
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. clip — for paper
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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