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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. land — a country
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — the fish
  10. land — ground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. land — to come down
  16. game — a match
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. staff — a stick

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