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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 · bore · mouse · suit · band · date · season · fine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bass — the fish
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. band — a ring
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bass — low music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. season — of the year
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bore — to drill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. date — the fruit

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