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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hand — help
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. date — the fruit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bass — the fish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bass — low music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rush — a thrill

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