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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. mate — a partner
  10. sharp — clever
  11. land — to come down
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — low music
  22. land — ground
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mate — to breed

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