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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fine · bass · arm · row · ball · season · mouse · wind

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — of the year
  15. wind — moving air
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — low music

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