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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: bass · squash · hide · pop · arm · ball · perch · track

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pop — soda
  6. bass — low music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. track — a path
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. squash — to crush
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a song
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. track — to keep track
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — to visit

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