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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. branch — a division
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. sharp — clever
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bass — low music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the instrument

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