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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: lash · racket · prune · bass · march · temple · stand · scale

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stand — to bear
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — low music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. march — music
  16. scale — in music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. prune — to trim

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