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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.

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: land · season · rash · mouse · bay · nail · ball · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ball — a dance
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — a series
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. land — a country
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. nail — for a hammer

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