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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: kid · bat · ground · bowl · mug · bass · scale · tube

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mug — a face
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kid — child
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ground — a position
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — in music
  20. bass — low music
  21. kid — to tease
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tube — a container
  24. ground — crushed

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