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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
468
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: dip · cue · bat · game · mate · mark · wave · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cue — a hint
  4. game — a match
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bat — the animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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