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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: firm · net · coach · last · mug · kick · season · band

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — for catching
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. band — a music group
  6. net — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. net — after costs
  9. firm — a company
  10. season — in sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. last — final
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. mug — a face
  18. last — to go on
  19. kick — in football
  20. firm — decided
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. season — of the year
  24. last — finally

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