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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 120 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: perch · ball · bass · arm · mark · mouse · straw · pop

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pop — soda
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pop — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pop — to visit
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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