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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: snap · ball · bass · mouse · hide · mark · game · net

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a great time
  3. net — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — the fish
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. snap — to click
  13. net — after costs
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. net — for catching
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — low music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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