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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — low music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bass — the fish
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mate — to breed
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wake — a trail

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