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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: hand · season · bulb · face · ball · fan · fork · bass

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bass — low music

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