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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: foot · lie · club · bass · season · pop · rush · racket

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — a group
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — of the year
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. club — for dancing
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rush — hurry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. club — for golf
  22. pop — soda
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the fish

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