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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.

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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: bass · track · rest · stand · staff · ball · bank · wound

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rest — a break
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a path
  11. bass — low music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stand — to bear

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