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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pop — soda
  4. court — for sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. present — there
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. present — a gift
  12. court — of law
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bass — low music
  23. present — the time now
  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