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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: mine · kid · leaves · bass · club · bowl · season · craft

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. club — a group
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kid — child
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. craft — boats
  8. kid — to tease
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. club — for dancing
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. craft — a skill
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. club — for golf
  24. season — of the year

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