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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. game — wild animals
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rush — hurry
  7. staff — employees
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — of the year
  11. kid — child
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kid — to tease
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bass — low music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. game — a match
  22. staff — employees
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rock — to move gently

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