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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: net · bass · wake · mark · season · row · bulb · fine

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fine — all right
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. net — in sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — for catching
  19. fine — high quality
  20. season — of the year
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — low music
  24. season — in sport

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