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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: pop · firm · mouse · bass · pitcher · club · rock · spring

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spring — the season
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pop — to visit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. pop — soda
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. firm — decided
  15. spring — of water
  16. firm — steady
  17. rock — a stone
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pop — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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