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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: last · rash · fall · jam · pound · net · bass · suit

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rash — hasty
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rash — a series
  10. last — final
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fall — the season
  14. net — in sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — after costs
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bass — low music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. net — for catching
  23. fall — to drop
  24. last — finally

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