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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: racket · march · cold · vault · bass · can · season · stem

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. march — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. march — the month
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. season — of the year
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. season — in sport
  16. bass — low music
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cold — an illness
  20. march — the month
  21. vault — a safe
  22. can — to be able to
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cold — not warm

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