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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. craft — boats
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a ring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ball — a great time
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bass — low music

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