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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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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cue — a hint
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. club — for dancing
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. last — final
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — for golf
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. last — finally
  19. cue — a signal
  20. last — to go on
  21. kid — child
  22. club — a group
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — a trainer

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