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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: tear · firm · file · tube · fan · bass · season · racket

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — decided
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. firm — steady
  7. bass — the fish
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tear — to rip
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — a container
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — a company
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — of the year
  24. tube — in a tire

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