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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 116 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: bass · wake · stick · season · band · rash · ball · mug

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a ring
  6. mug — a face
  7. band — a music group
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bass — low music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rash — on the skin

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