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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: bass · net · leaves · foot · season · race · present · kick

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. race — a contest
  3. bass — low music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. race — humankind
  7. net — after costs
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. season — in sport
  13. foot — a measure
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — in sport
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. season — of the year
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. present — there
  22. net — for catching
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. race — the arms race

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