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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.

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
468
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: arm · pound · season · foot · mark · cue · ball · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — low music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cue — a hint
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — a grade
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ball — a dance

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