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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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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: coach · mouse · rock · plane · net · bass · cap · foot

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cap — of ice

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