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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.

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: bass · rash · object · mine · pitcher · wave · racket · pop

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. object — an aim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — a thing
  8. pop — music
  9. object — to protest
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rash — a series
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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