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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — low music
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. field — farmland
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. field — a subject
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. field — for sport
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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