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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · track · ball · bass · prune · stem · fan · calf

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bass — low music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — to keep track
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. track — a song
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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