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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: foot · mark · bass · perch · rule · bat · ball · wave

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rule — a law
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bass — low music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rule — government
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ball — a great time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — in an idiom

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