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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
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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: trunk · season · hide · bowl · bat · mug · cue · bass

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — in sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. season — of the year
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cue — for pool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mug — a face
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bass — low music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bat — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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