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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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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: bay · bass · suit · pop · mouse · fall · racket · pound

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pop — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pop — soda
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fall — the season
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bass — low music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — for dogs

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