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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — to eat
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mug — a face
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mug — a cup
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. shower — rain
  24. mug — to rob

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