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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: bulb · season · bass · net · track · perch · lash · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. perch — the fish
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — for catching
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — of the year
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. track — a song
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. net — in sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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