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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: bat · object · fan · lash · bowl · court · snap · bass

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. snap — to click
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. object — an aim
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bass — low music
  9. bat — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — to protest
  21. court — for sport
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. court — of law

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