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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: land · club · racket · ball · stem · press · bass · key

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. club — for dancing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. land — ground
  11. press — a publisher
  12. key — the most important part
  13. land — a country
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bass — low music
  17. club — a group
  18. press — to push
  19. land — to come down
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. key — in music
  22. club — for golf
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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