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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: plane · rash · ball · suit · pitch · bat · foot · bass

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — a series
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. suit — in cards
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. suit — clothes
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bass — low music

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