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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 116 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: rule · field · pound · mouse · bass · pitcher · club · object

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. object — a thing
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bass — low music
  6. field — farmland
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. object — an aim
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — a law
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — the fish
  16. field — a subject
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. field — for sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rule — government
  24. mouse — the animal

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