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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: dip · cabinet · pop · cell · season · mate · game · bass

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pop — music
  9. cell — a phone
  10. season — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bass — the fish
  18. game — a match
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bass — low music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. season — of the year
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. dip — to dunk

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