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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. board — to get on
  8. bound — certain
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a dance
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a committee
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bass — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. branch — of a bank
  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