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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.

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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rock — music
  5. rash — a series
  6. deal — to handle
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — a position
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bass — low music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — the fish

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