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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 120 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
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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: cue · net · bowl · bass · pop · swing · pit · drill

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bass — low music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pop — soda
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — to play on
  7. net — for catching
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. net — in sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. pop — music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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