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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: bear · firm · game · ball · season · board · bass · file

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. file — a line of people
  3. board — a committee
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. firm — a company
  11. season — in sport
  12. game — a match
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. firm — decided
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ball — a dance
  21. firm — steady
  22. board — to get on
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a great time

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