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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: game · jam · ball · row · deal · wind · bass · mate

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. row — a line
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bass — low music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. row — to paddle
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ball — a dance
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ball — a great time
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wind — to turn a key

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