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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. ball — a great time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kick — in football
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bass — low music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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