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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: track · bass · ball · bowl · prune · foot · cold · saw

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cold — an illness
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — low music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. track — to keep track
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ball — a dance
  19. track — a song
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. track — a path
  24. prune — to trim

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