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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: wave · bass · pitcher · row · stand · net · temple · stick

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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