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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
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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: rush · bulb · bowl · game · roll · ball · arm · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ball — a dance
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. roll — a list
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ball — a great time
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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