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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. last — final
  5. club — for golf
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — happy
  13. mark — a trace
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. last — to go on
  19. bass — the fish
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — low music
  22. last — finally
  23. content — videos and posts
  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