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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 120 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mark — a trace
  8. track — a path
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — after costs
  11. staff — a stick
  12. dip — to sink
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. track — a song
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. net — in sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. net — for catching
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — employees
  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