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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. craft — boats
  7. pass — a permit
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bass — the fish
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cue — a signal
  18. shower — rain
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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