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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.

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: field · nail · bass · ball · rash · rock · tube · roll

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rash — a series
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — a container
  11. field — farmland
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. field — for sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rock — a stone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rock — music
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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