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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pound — a weight
  10. band — a ring
  11. bass — the fish
  12. kick — in football
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. band — a music group
  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