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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: row · tube · racket · bass · bear · pound · season · lean

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — to bend
  5. season — in sport
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. season — of the year
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lean — thin
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — a line

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