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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: fan · tube · ball · pound · date · court · bass · chair

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. court — of law
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bass — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — a weight
  19. court — for sport
  20. chair — a leader
  21. court — of a king
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tube — in a tire

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