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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: ball · bass · ground · pit · mark · stick · rest · last

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rest — a break
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ball — a great time
  7. last — finally
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. last — to go on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. last — final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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