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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 · branch · game · tear · object · bass · mug · jam

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. object — an aim
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. tear — to rip
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mug — a face
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. object — a thing
  16. mug — a cup
  17. object — to protest
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. tear — from crying
  23. branch — of a tree
  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