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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: bass · band · bowl · mark · racket · file · squash · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bass — the fish
  3. squash — the sport
  4. file — a document
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a ring
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bass — low music
  19. band — a music group
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. file — a tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. squash — to crush

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