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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: craft · kid · bass · season · mate · foot · pop · bulb

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. craft — boats
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — soda
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pop — music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mate — to breed
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kid — to tease
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. season — in sport
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — low music
  22. kid — child
  23. bulb — for light
  24. season — of the year

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