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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: rest · bass · band · pit · sharp · net · bay · ball

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. band — a ring
  5. net — in sport
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rest — a break
  13. bass — low music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — after costs
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ball — a great time

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