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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ball — a great time
  6. net — after costs
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — in sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. roll — a cake
  12. net — for catching
  13. squash — the sport
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. roll — a list
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a round shape

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