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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: stock · bound · bat · coach · mouse · pit · bass · club

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pit — in a race
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stock — shares
  12. bass — low music
  13. club — for golf
  14. pit — a hole
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stock — goods
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. coach — a trainer

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