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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: fine · squash · toast · bass · foot · rash · band · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rash — a series
  4. band — a music group
  5. fine — all right
  6. bass — low music
  7. toast — bread
  8. ball — a great time
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fine — high quality
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bass — the fish
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rash — hasty

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