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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: kick · trunk · bass · leaves · net · pound · roll · row

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — in sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. row — a line
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. net — after costs
  14. roll — a list
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. roll — a cake
  24. net — for catching

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