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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. key — in music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mug — a face
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stock — shares
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bass — low music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stock — goods
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pop — music

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