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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: net · pop · racket · court · stick · bank · pound · bass

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bass — low music
  7. net — in sport
  8. court — of law
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. net — for catching
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. net — after costs
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. court — of a king
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bank — for money

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