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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: wake · foot · bass · ball · cell · season · suit · hand

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. suit — in cards
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — of the year
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ball — a great time
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hand — in cards

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