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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: cabinet · bass · toast · spring · mouse · chair · season · ball

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bass — the fish
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — in sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bass — low music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. toast — bread

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