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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: shower · bass · staff · cabinet · ruler · field · pass · coach

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. field — a subject
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — a permit
  13. field — farmland
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. shower — rain
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. field — for sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. staff — a stick

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