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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pop — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bass — low music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pop — soda
  17. staff — employees
  18. clip — a video
  19. rock — music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cue — a signal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pass — to succeed

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