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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 120 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: court · coach · rest · degree · firm · branch · hide · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bass — the fish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. firm — a company
  11. court — of law
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — a break
  15. degree — an amount
  16. branch — a division
  17. court — for sport
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. court — of a king
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — a trainer
  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