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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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. rock — a stone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cold — not warm
  10. row — to paddle
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cold — an illness
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. row — a line
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — a quarrel

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