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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · mate · club · bass · coach · roll · fork · scale

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. club — for golf
  3. bass — low music
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. roll — a cake
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — a group
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. firm — a company
  20. roll — a list
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mate — a friend
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — to eat with

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