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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: safe · cue · season · bass · club · rush · field · cap

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — in sport
  6. field — for sport
  7. cap — of ice
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. field — a subject
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bass — low music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cap — a hat
  19. club — for golf
  20. rush — hurry
  21. field — farmland
  22. club — a group
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — the fish

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