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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: bass · mark · ball · mug · racket · key · prune · land

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mark — a grade
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mug — to rob
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — low music
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. key — the most important part
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. bass — the fish
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mug — a face
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — ground
  23. key — in music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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