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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: fine · ball · bass · pitcher · wake · mine · racket · shower

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fine — all right
  6. shower — rain
  7. bass — low music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — a trail
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fine — high quality
  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