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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: rash · field · bass · ball · leaves · cap · branch · foot

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bass — low music
  6. field — farmland
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. field — a subject
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rash — a series
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. branch — a division
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cap — of ice
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cap — a hat
  24. leaves — lets stay

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