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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the fish
  5. club — a group
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. field — a subject
  9. bass — low music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. club — for golf
  12. field — for sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. field — farmland
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rock — music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rest — what's left

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