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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · bass · fan · coach · chair · foot · stand · kick

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — in football
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. net — in sport
  24. bass — the instrument

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