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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: bowl · ball · pitcher · bass · rash · lie · straw · deal

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — low music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rash — hasty
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ball — a dance
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rash — a series
  19. ball — a great time
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ball — a round shape

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