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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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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. suit — in cards
  3. roll — a list
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ball — a great time
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. roll — a cake
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — army training
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mine — belonging to me

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