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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · bass · cabinet · current · fall · tube · coach · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — for dancing
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — a group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — of water
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bass — low music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — for golf
  14. current — electric
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — happening now
  18. fall — the season
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — a container

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