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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: net · squash · band · rest · track · bass · perch · bay

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — for catching
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. net — in sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rest — a break
  14. track — to keep track
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. squash — the sport
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a ring
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. band — a music group

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