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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: band · bass · kid · track · bark · racket · dip · bowl

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. kid — to tease
  3. band — a ring
  4. bass — the fish
  5. dip — to sink
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. kid — child
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. track — a path
  24. band — a music group

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