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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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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: file · bass · wake · ball · rock · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. file — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rock — 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