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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · roll · wake · season · bowl · nail · bass · dip

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. season — of the year
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wake — a trail
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. roll — a list
  10. ball — a great time
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — the fish
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — low music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. roll — a cake

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