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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mug — a face
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bass — low music
  10. net — in sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. firm — a company
  16. band — a ring
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lie — to recline
  20. firm — decided
  21. net — for catching
  22. band — a music group
  23. mug — a cup
  24. firm — steady

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