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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 116 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: plane · kick · coach · bass · row · kid · board · pop

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. kick — in football
  7. board — a committee
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bass — the fish
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pop — soda
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pop — music
  23. row — a line
  24. kick — a thrill

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