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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: last · racket · bear · game · wake · craft · bass · pitcher

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. last — to go on
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. game — a match
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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