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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · wake · date · bank · content · lash · ball · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. content — the amount
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bank — of a river
  24. date — on the calendar

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