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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 · pitcher · present · foot · track · ball · pop · trunk

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — a path
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. present — the time now
  8. bass — low music
  9. track — a song
  10. present — a gift
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — a measure
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bass — the fish
  24. foot — part of the body

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