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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 116 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: ground · pop · board · saw · pit · fan · season · bass

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pop — soda
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pop — music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pit — in a race
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. season — in sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. season — of the year
  22. board — a committee
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — the fish

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