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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: lie · mark · jam · pop · wave · ball · bass · net

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a dance
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. net — for catching
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bass — low music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — after costs
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. net — in sport

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