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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: cue · fork · pitcher · coach · bass · ball · foot · shower

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. foot — part of the body

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