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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 120 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: rash · field · club · bass · prune · hand · pop · arm

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. field — for sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. field — farmland
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. pop — music
  11. club — a group
  12. prune — to trim
  13. field — a subject
  14. rash — hasty
  15. club — for dancing
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bass — the fish
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. club — for golf
  22. pop — soda
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bass — low music

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