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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — a line
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. swing — music
  6. bass — low music
  7. row — to paddle
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. row — a quarrel

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