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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cap — of ice
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cap — a hat
  18. object — to protest
  19. kick — in football
  20. object — a thing
  21. bass — low music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — an aim

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