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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a music group
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pop — to visit
  10. drill — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — army training
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — a friend
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. band — a ring
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low 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