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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 · bass · tear · ball · object · roll · calf · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bank — for money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — to protest
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. ball — a dance
  13. roll — a list
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tear — to rip
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bank — of a river
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. net — after costs
  24. ball — a round shape

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