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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: season · spring · straw · bass · calf · game · bowl · charge

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spring — a coil
  9. charge — a price
  10. season — in sport
  11. game — a match
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. charge — electricity
  14. season — of the year
  15. bass — low music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. spring — the season
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. charge — in control
  23. game — a kind of play
  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