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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · cap · pound · bass · wave · ball

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bass — low music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pound — a weight
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. branch — a division
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bass — the fish
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ball — a great 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