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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: firm · bear · season · bass · ball · fine · cell · spell

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spell — magic
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — letters
  6. season — in sport
  7. cell — in biology
  8. season — of the year
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bass — low music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fine — all right
  14. firm — decided
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cell — a phone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — steady

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