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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cue — for pool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — in sport
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — for catching
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — there
  21. bass — low music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. present — a gift
  24. cue — a hint

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