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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: date · court · toast · bass · season · rush · stem · racket

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. season — in sport
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rush — hurry
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bass — low music
  17. season — of the year
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. toast — bread
  24. stem — to come from

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