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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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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: bass · ball · stem · racket · suit · straw · wake · drill

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — in cards
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — army training
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a dance
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. drill — the tool

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