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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 120 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: rush · leaves · suit · ball · mate · kid · track · bass

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mate — a partner
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bass — low music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bass — the fish
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kid — to tease

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