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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.

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: rush · court · wave · bass · racket · date · arm · net

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bass — the fish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. date — the fruit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. net — in sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of a king
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — low music
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — for catching
  17. court — of law
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — a loud noise

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