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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. march — the month
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — to recline
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ball — a dance
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — a match
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pass — to spend time

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