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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: bear · pound · bass · net · court · bowl · staff · squash

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. net — for catching
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. court — of law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bowl — a football final

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